Special Projects
The Knowledge Initiative
In the fall of 2008 the Center for Knowledge Use in Education --- Knowledge Alliance's sister organization --- launched a new effort to reinvent the research and development infrastructure in education as a leading edge catalyst for innovation and transformationin. The initiative includes an ongoing series of activities over the next several years including the development of a 21st Century vision for R&D, the convening of national summits, and the implementation of "proof of concept" pilot projects. The first start up phase of the initiative has been funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
The Role of Evidence in Policy and Practice
In the fall of 2008 in conjunction with the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory the Center for Knowledge Use in Education initiated a nine month study of how decisions are made in policy and practice in education and the role of scientific evidence in making those decisions. Through focus group process, the project will interview over a hundred policy makers and practitioners and develop new ideas for promoting the use of research-based knowledge in education. The project is funded through a grant from the William T Grant Foundation.
Using Evidence for a Change Forums
In the spring and summer of 2008 The Center for Knowledge Use in Education convened two policy forums and supported the Knowledge Alliance's retreat to explore new ways to transform education into an evidence-based field and examine the challenges and opportunities in promoting the use of evidence in education. Critical issues included: the relevance and rigor of education research; the appropriate federal role in promoting quality and relevance in education research; the impact of education research on innovation, development and school improvement; and future policy implications including those involving the reauthorization of the Elementary & Secondary Education Act and the Education Sciences Reform Act. The forums were supported by a grant from the William T Grant Foundation.
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